Landing flap



a? 44 ,96 /f/y W Y @Mm April 27, 1954 v M. N. SALAZAR 2,676,772

LANDING FLAP Filed DeC. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 27, 1954 T' O F F I C E 2,676,772.

LANDING Miguel; N. Salazar, Oklahoma. City, Qkla'. Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,428

l This invention relates to landing flaps and particularly air engaging brake means for rapdevices have been unsatisfactory particularly as they cannot be controlled from. within the aircraft'itself.

thus; rapidly decrease i-ts'speed ofA motion..

Thisis` accomplished 'by means of airv flaps withf the outersurface of; the aircraft during, no1'.- mal operation thereto;. The air flaps operateas airscoops with a reduceoutlet area, to produce thel maximum turbulence and drag inv the air The flap is further operatedv insuch manner that itwillielosewith themini- Y which it intercepts.

mum of disturbancen yand likewise open in the closingof the-naps.

It is accordinglyan object of; the invention to provides an improved aircraft brake.

It is a'furthor obiect of the invention to pro-'- videY air naps. which may be readily projected from inside theaircraft.

It isa further objectof thev invention to provide aircraft naps. which may be. opened andl showing a plurality of the brake devices applied;`

Figure 2. is a. sectional' elevational through a single air flap andshowing the actuating structure therefor Figurel 3 is an enlarged perspective view of af single air nap in open position rand" Figure 4 is a schematic control diagram show;

2 ing the. control system for opening and closing the air flap.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention an aircraft II! isA herein shown as of the relatively slow propeller driven type but obviously could be either jet or rocket propelled. A plurality of brakes I2 are mounted on various portions of" the craft HJ for reducing the velocity of the aircraft when the brakes I2 are in place.

Each of .the brakes I2 consists of an externally mounted air nap I4 having an outer surface I6 adapted to conform with the surface of the craft to which the nap It is applied.. The aps I4 being supplied with a relatively sharp leading edge I8 and a streamline rear edge 20. Each of the aps I4 will be supported by means of a plural-ityl of rear supporting arms 22 and a plurality articulated front supporting arms 24. The craft Iii will be supplied with recesses 26r to receive the flaps I4 so that the outer surface I6 thereof will lie substantially flush with the outer surface of the craft when the flaps` are in retracted position. The reararmsY 22 will be of the bell crank 32 of the flap I4r and the inner cover 34' of the ap III will be provided with an elongated slot 31 so that the arm 22 may swingabout the pivot pin 30 to allow angular motionv of the ii-ap Illv about the arml 22. The inner end 36v of the arm 22 is mounted: bya pin 38 on a mounting structure 40 Withiny theI craft I0, the arm 22 extending through a slot 42 in the skin at the bottom of the depression 26; A shock absorbing spring 44 isv skin 43 of the craft Ill and the angulated arm 22.

The front angulated arm 214 of the bell crank comprises a front end 46. mountedA by a pin 48 to a frame structure 50 within the skin oiI the craft I-Il. An outer endv 52 is mounted by a pin 5.41170 the framework 3'2 of the flap It and extends throughA a` slot 5t in the inner skin 3ft thereof. Likewise the army 24` extends through a slot 58 and the inner skin 43 of theI craft lil. The shock absorbing spring 6'0 is mounted on the mounting;

structure 50 and is interposed betweeny the structure 50 and thev articulated arm 24'. 'I'he arm 24' is provided with a knuckle articulation 621 having a pivot pin 6d so,` that the arm 24 may move as may be desired during the shifting of the ila-pA I4; The arms 22 and 24 are so proportioned that when they flap I44 is fully extended thespace 63' between the rear edge 200i the Iiapv I-4 and-the skin of the vehiclel IIlv will'v be approxi'- mately one-third oft-he distancev or space 66 be-V o tween the leading end I8 of the flap |4 and the skin of the craft I0. t y,

The actuating means for the rear arm 22 comprises a double-acting cylinder 68 having a rear end 10 fastened therein and having a knuckle end 12 pivotally mounted on a portion of the supporting structure by means of a pintle pin 14. A piston 16 is slidable in the cylinder 68 and a piston rod 18 extends through the end 80 of the cylinder 68 and is provided with a suitable packing gland 82. The knuckle end 84 on the piston rod 18 is connected to a knuckle joint 86 on the angulated arm 22 by means of a pintle pin 88. A uid conduit 90 is connected to the forward end of the cylinder 68 and a fluid conduit 92 is connected to the rear end of the cylinder to provide both inlet and exit at both ends of the cylinder.

A control system for the forward articulated arm 24 comprises a double-acting cylinder 96 having a forward end 98 provided with a knuckle end |00 secured to a supporting mechanism |02 mounted in the vehicle l0 by means of a pintle pin |04. A piston |06 is slidable in the cylinder 96 and is provlded with a piston rod |08 extending through the rear end ||0 of the cylinder 96 and being provided with a packing gland ||2. The piston rod |08 is provided with a knuckle end ||4 which is connected to an intermediate point ||6 of the arm 24 by means of a pintle pin |18. The fluid end of a conduit is connected to the forward end of the cylinder 96 and a uid conduit |22 is connected to the rear end of the cylinder 96.

The operating system for this piston 68 and 96 comprises a reservoir |24 from which a conduit |26 delivers uid to a pump |28. A control valve |30 is provided with a barrel |32 having a port |34 connected to the pump |28 by means of a conduit |36. An opposed port in the barrel |32 is connected to the reservoir |34 by means of a conduit |42. A by-pass valve |44 is provided between the conduits |36 and |42 and is connected thereto by means of a conduit |46. A port |48 in the barrel |32 is connected to a conduit |50 which connects to a first interlock valve |52 and the nal port |54 in the barrel |32 is connected to a second interlock valve |56. The valve |30 is provided with a valve cylinder |58 having a pair of ports |60 and |62 therein. A handle |64 is applied to the cylinder |58 so that the conduits |62 and |60 may be connected at the will of the operator to apply the pump to either the conduit |50 or the conduit |66, extending between the port |54 and the valve |56.

The sequence control valve |52 is provided with a barrel |10 having a port |12 therein to which is connected a conduit |50. An outlet port |14 is connected to conduit 92 which connects to the rear end of the piston 68. The third port |16 connects to conduit |20 which connects to the forward end of piston 96. The barrel |10 is provided with a valve body |18 which is controlled by a handle |80 which is biased by means of a spring |82 so that in normal operation the valve body |18 will keep the port |16 closed. An actuating means herein shown as solenoid |84 is controlled by means of a limit switch |86 which is in turn controlled by a stop member |88 on the angulated support 22.

The sequence control valve |56 is provided with the valve barrel |90 having a port |92 to which the conduit |66 connects. An outlet port |94 is connected to the conduit 90 and to the forward end of the cylinder 68. Outlet port |96 is connected to the conduit |22 which connects in turn to the rear end of the cylinder 96. The valve element |98 is mounted in the barrel |90 and controlled by means of a control lever 200 which is normally biased by means of the spring 202 to move the body |98 to close the port |94. Actuating solenoid 204 is controlled by means of a. limit switch 206 which is actuated by means of a limit stop 208 on the articulated arm 24.

In the operation of the device according to the invention the pump |28 will be operated to provide pressure which will normally be by-passed by means of by-pass valve |44 but when it is desired to operate the flaps |4 in either direction the handle |64 will be manually controlled and as shown in Figure 4 the handle |64 has been manipulated to bring the conduit |62 to connect the ports |34 and |54 so that fluid flows through the conduit |66 to the valve |56. initial operation according to this position the spring 202 will have moved the valve |98 to close the port |94 so that fluid will flow through the conduit |22 into the rear end of the cylinder 86 so that the piston |06 withdraws the piston rod |08 so that the bell crank arm 24 moves about the pivot pin 48 to bring the leading edge i8 of the flap I4 into closed position. At this moment the stop 208 will actuate the switch 206 to energize the solenoid 204 to move the handle 280 to open the port |94 so as fluid flows through the conduit 90 to the forward end of the cylinder 68 so that the piston 16 is withdrawn so that piston rod 18 moves bell crank arm 22 interiorly of the structure to close the ap |4.

To open the flap the handle |64 is moved to such position that the passage will connect the pump |28 to the outlet port |28 so that conduit |50 would apply pressure through the port |12 of the valve |52. Since the bell crank 22 is in inward position the stop |88 will be released from the switch |86 and the solenoid |84 will be deenergized so that the spring |82 will have closed the port |16 leading to the conduit |20. The port |14 will then allow fluid to flow through the conduit 92 to the forward end of the piston 68. The admission of fluid to the rear end of cylinder 68 will push the piston 18 forward so that the bell crank 22 will move about the pivot pin 38 so that the rear end 20 of the flap |4 is pushed outwardly. When the bell crank 22 is moved through its full motion the stop |88 will actuate the switch |86 so that the solenoid |84 will move the handle |80 to uncover the port |18 so that fluid will ow through the passage |20 to the forward end of cylinder 96 so that piston |06 will move backward in the cylinder 96 and move bell crank 22 through an arcuate motion to project the forward edge |8 of the ap |4 into the air stream alongside of the craft |0. The movement of the bell crank 24 to extended position will release the lock 208 from the switch 206 so that the spring 202 will bring the valve |96 to covering position with the port |94.

It will thus be seen that the control system is operative so that in opening position the rearmost part of the flap |4 is moved to open position after which the forward edge of the flap is moved to open position so that the air stream will be gradually applied to the flap |4 so that the shock springs 44 and 60 take the shock when the complete air force of the air stream is applied to the flap |4 so that the shock will be substantially reduced on the body of the craft l0. Likewise, on the closing action the forward edge of During the' the ap I4 will be seated against the body of the craft I 0 to relieve the air stress thereunder before the rear end of the flap I4 is moved to closed position.

be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof without departing from the true spirit and purpose of the invention.

What is described as new is as follows:

1. An aircraft brake comprising a iap, said craft having a recess for receiving said ap, angulated support arms for the front and hack of said iiap, said front and back arms being so 2. An aircraft brake comprising a flap, said craft yhaving a recess for receiving said ap, angulated support arms for the front and back of said ap, said front and back arms being so arranged that said flap when extended is supthird the space between the front edge of the flap and the surface of the craft, said arms being pivotally connected to said craft and to said flap,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 2, 1940 

